This invention relates to an electro-optic identification code device incorporated in a timepiece which, when utilized with an opto-electronic reader provides a wrist instrument generating machine-readable codes from an electro-optic display associated with the timekeeping display. Such a wrist instrument can substitute for other types of personal identification devices, such as a key, magnetic card or identification badge.
Watches have evolved from mechanical escapement devices into highly accurate electronic devices incorporating an integrated circuit with oscillator and countdown divider controlled by a quartz crystal. The timekeeping display of a modern quartz watch may either be in the form of a solid state electro-optic display such as liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED), electro-chromic (EC). The time may be shown in digits, or may be presented with conventional hands, in a quartz analog (QA) watch, driven by a stepping motor from the integrated circuit. The integrated circuits have become more and more complex and capable of multi-function timekeeping, incorporating a programmable logic arrays (PLA) to address a random access memory (RAM) storing and incrementing the time information under the control of a program in a read only memory (ROM). The memory capacity of integrated circuits has continually been improved, increasing the possibilities of other functions in a timepiece. Such a timepiece is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,409-Bayliss issued Dec. 20, 1977 and assigned by Intel Corporation to the present assignee.
Identification systems have been proposed previously in wristwatches employing coupling by means of radio waves between a data identification wristwatch and a testing station in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,874 issued Apr. 23, 1974 to K. Ehrat. In th Ehrat patent, various types of identification codes are transmitted to identify the wearer of the wrist instrument. One alternative suggested for problems of security from detection of radio transmissions consists of direct connection of the identification unit to the testing station.
Opto-electronic coupling is well-known for providing electrical noise isolation in data communications. Code transmission using modulated light sources has also been suggested in connection with locks in lieu of a conventional mechanical key. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,362 issued Oct. 29, 1974 to Roe and U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,435 issued Mar. 18, 1975 to Cestaro employ electro-optic pulse trains from LED or other light sources to compare the pulses to a pattern which, if coincidence occurs, allows the lock to be opened. U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,738 issued Dec. 19, 1978 to Sandstedt describes a wristwatch used in conjunction with a telephone hand set adapted for coupling the two devices for data transmission. One of the coupling alternatives includes electro-optic coupling.
Other types of security systems incorporating mechanical keys or magnetic cards, as well as electronic solid state memory elements are illustrated in the following U.S. Patents, which list is not represented as complete, but only exemplary:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,882 issued Apr. 23, 1974 to Clarke PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,229 issued Nov. 12, 1974 to Perron et. al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,634 issued Jan. 7, 1975 to Perron et. al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,214 issued Aug. 21, 1973 to Matsumoto et. al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,122 issued Jan. 20, 1976 to Riccitelli
Ordinarily the time display on a watch is intelligible to the user in terms of presenting time information, but it is not presented in machine-readable format. For example, an identification code could be displayed in lieu of time of day upon a digital display. Reading the digits electronically would require special digits and a special optical character recognition (OCR) system to read the display. However, many simplifications in machine reading have been made using "bar code" readers which simply distinguish between the presence or absence of light or dark succession of printed lines and the width of the lines. A wand stroked across the coded pattern detects narrow or wide lines by the difference in time required to traverse the width. Commercially available "wands" associated with opto-electronic equipment read standard printed bar code symbols on products. Such codes include the Universal Product Code (UPC) on food products or Code 39 for industrial goods. It would be desirable to employ standard bar codes and commercially available opto-electronic readers to receive optically transmitted machine-readable codes from a wrist instrument for identification purposes.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved identification device combined with a timepiece which provides machine-readable codes from a electro-optic display associated with the timekeeping display.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for selecting an identification code form the memory in a timepiece and for transmitting to an opto-electronic receiver.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved secure identification device incorporated in an electronic timepiece memory.